ISIS abducts dozens of Christians from Syrian town: monitor

Beirut, Aug 7: The Islamic State (ISIS) militants have abducted dozens of Christian families after seizing a strategically located town in the central Syrian province of Homs, media reported.

According to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 230 people including women and children were kidnapped by the group from Homs province.

The reliable sources informed monitor that many of them were kidnapped from a church in the city of Qaryatayn, where unknown militiamen kidnapped the pontiff Jack Mrad, who is the head of monastery, was kidnapped from the monastery 10 weeks ago.

ISIS militants have captured Qaryatain, a key Syrian town populated by tens of thousands of Christians and a monastery. Qaryatain is located 65 miles from Palmyra, is home to 40,000 people, both Sunni Muslims and Christians.